The Sound of Cacophony
by Taru Rui
Summary: After the Rhombulan invasions, Commander Kahn sends his agents to Japan to study the Ouendan's cheering methods in order to fortify themselves. However, Agent Spin finds himself feeling doubtful, while some longtime rivals make an inopportune appearance..
1. Agents, Welcome to Yuuhi

AN: Excuse the icky summary... now, I've written plenty of stories before... but I've never submitted them. I was always a big hater and critic of my own writing... but I'm gonna try this time. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll get writer's block somewhere along the line, so I apologize if I don't update often... Lawl, anyway, I forgot to mention this earlier, and it doesn't fit in my description, so: This story is AU. It takes place during Ouendan 2, but I'm gonna be straying from the regular plotline a lot... after all, the EBA are in this. Heard of the EBA download in Ouendan 2? Yeah, that's my inspiration right there.

I realized I should put a disclaimer, hunh?

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents belong to iNIS. I don't own them. Blarh. Also, I refer to Ouendanfangirl's translation guide on GameFAQs for any in-game Ouendan scenario... so yeah. Don't own any of this stuff. And this applies to all my chapters, so I don't have to keep writing this stuff. XP

Enough of me rambling, here is your feature presentation. Enjoy!

* * *

Agent Spin awoke to the usual sights, smells, and sounds of morning. The sun beamed brightly through the window, the scent of breakfast made itself known, birds sang their joyful songs, backed by the grunts and yells of the Japanese cheer squad in their practice routine... 

Well, okay, that was something Spin had to get used to. But it was alright, he was enjoying his time in Japan. Ever since he'd joined the world's biggest motivational organization, the Elite Beat Agents, he would never have expected that he'd be where he was today. It was only four years ago that he'd become an agent, and only a year later, Spin, considered EBA's prodigy, took part in a dance to defeat alien invaders (who would've thought?). Afterwards, he was no longer the rookie. If he hadn't earned the respect and love of his peers by attaining the high rank of BA-5 in less than a year, he certainly had a lot of it now.

And now, here he was, with EBA's cream of the crop, studying in the hometown of motivation: Japan's Yuuhi Town. The Agents' teachers ("Senseis", Spin would say to get in character) were none other than the pioneers of inspirational cheering, the serious, hot-blooded Ouendan -- translated as "Cheer Squad", but they were universally known by their Japanese name. Spin thought it sounded better, anyway.

"Mu-chu-u deeee! Hayaku! Kake nukete kita!" sang a voice from outside that was far from being comparable to your average pop star, but at least it was in tune... somewhat. Immediately following up the single line was an exasperated "Yare yare..." and the Ouendan Captain's obvious, irritated complaints and commands to shut up.

The Ouendan were not as serious and stoic as they seemed to be, Spin figured. Sometimes they seemed even goofier than the Agents did.

"Good t' see you up, sleepyhead," greeted a voice from the doorway. With a hint of a Brooklyn accent, it was none other than the pompadour-bearing Agent J, who had become Spin's closest friend in the Agency. He was the one who showed the budding agent the ropes, and the two became strong friends ever since.

"Sleepyhead? What time is it?" Spin asked as he yawned at the thought, unconsciously finding his signature headphones sitting nearby and setting it on his neck.

"'Bout seven-thirty," J replied casually.

"Seven-thirty, huh?"

"Yeah... we're supposed to be up by five."

"Five?! Aw, man... I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"Well, we're here for quite a while, so you better get used to it when the Ouendan start training us as well."

Spin sighed. He was excited to learn the methods of another culture, but something about this whole thing bugged him. It was a thought that Spin certainly did not like and he sometimes even felt ashamed for thinking that way.

Was it necessary to study this Ouendan style of cheering, which was quite different from the EBA style? Was it necessary at all to go through all these lengths just to prepare themselves for a future Rhombulan attack? Spin felt that if they had the ability to defeat the Rhombulans before, they could probably very well do it again, especially if the EBA keeps making alliances with other cheer groups around the world. He also didn't think it was wise to send the top agents away for more than half a year. Plus, the Ouendan squad captain, Kai Doumeki, was just plain _intimidating_. He was even more intimidating than Chieftain's first impression on Spin. (Spin quickly found out after that his impressions were pretty much wrong.)

"Hey, don't worry too much about it. I saved ya some breakfast, so drop by the kitchen when you're ready," J told the younger agent before departing from the bedroom, leaving Spin to himself.

--

"I'm surprised you came to the Ouendan, most people outside Japan don't immediately associate us with rhythm because we don't dance," explained Hajime Tanaka, still considered the Ouendan's newest recruit despite being on the squad for six years. Hajime and the squad's leader, Ryuta Ippongi, were taking all the agents around town, with the exception of Chieftain, who politely declined the offer and opted to stay at the Ouendan dojo instead.

Both Ouendan members wore a long gakuran coat along with uniform pants and shoes, all in black. The uniform also consisted of white gloves, red bands around their shoulders that crossed on their backs, and red armbands with the squad's symbol on it -- the kanji for "Ouen" encased in a black star-like figure. It was quite different from the black suits the agents wore. Only the squad members' headgear differed; where Hajime wore a military cap over his shaved head and black hard-rimmed glasses, Ryuta kept his crimson-black hair in a spiky stylized topknot, accompanied by a red headband often seen on conventional ouendan.

"Well, yes, there are other cheer groups that move quite well with the rhythm... most notably the Bailadores from Latin America, ne?" started Ryuta, whose statement earned nods of agreement from the group. He continued, "However, that doesn't mean they're any better than the Ouendan or the Agents. They're lots of fun to watch, though. The ladies can _really_--"

"You can stop there, Leader," Hajime sighed, cutting into his sentence.

"Oh, come on, Tanaka. You act as if I was about to say something dirty..."

"I wouldn't put it past you!"

"I'm slightly hurt! Have you no faith in your leader?"

The Ouendan rookie's only reply was a shake of the head and a groan. Ryuta shrugged it off, the expression of mock offense replaced by a laid back smile.

"But back to what we were talking about before, there's not too much surprise if you know that the Elite Beat Agents were inspired by Ouendan," said the squad's leader, hand raised in explanation.

"They are?" Spin asked, who apparently didn't know the aforementioned and was therefore surprised.

"If you paid more attention during the meeting for this trip, you would've known that, Spin," J chuckled, nudging the younger agent with his elbow.

"Well, _sorry_," Spin retorted just as jokingly, and continued, "Unlike you, I had a midnight mission the night before and I needed _some_ sleep to actually function."

"I'm sure there were plenty other agents suitable to replace Agent Bass for that mission."

"Aw, J, cut me some slack, will ya? Is it wrong for a guy to love his job?"

"You need to realize your limits, rookie," J joked, patting Spin's shoulder. The headphone-clad agent's amused expression and raised eyebrow betrayed his puzzlement to the old nickname, but he said nothing in response.

"Ah, it's about noon," Ryuta spoke up, glancing at the current position of the sun. "How about some food? Dragon Ramen is around the corner from here."

"Sounds great!" J agreed, excited to eat ramen that wasn't instant and simply made by cooking water, flavoring, and noodles together in a pot. The other agents agreed by nodding (with a quiet "I'm starved!" from Morris).

"Okay, Ippongi-san... which one of us is paying? I can't pay, so I guess that means you have to pay this time," Hajime said, shrugging and heading towards the restaurant.

"This time? THIS time?! I pay EVERY time!" Ryuta groaned in his native tongue, "For God's sakes, I even pay when the Captain's with us and when the girls want ice cream or something! Why don't you pay up for a change?"

"Ippongi-san, you know I don't have that much money. I only carry money for emergency," Hajime replied in the same language, a little nervous with Ryuta's apparent irritation.

"Only for emergency? If we collapse from starvation, I think that's an emergency. If we can't respond when duty calls because we tried to freeload off Tanaka Yasushi-san, that'll be an emergency too! Come on, Tanaka, I know you can handle at the very least four-thousand yen, you get paid better than I do!"

"...But-- Eeeeh!" Hajime started to respond, but his leader's glare made him flinch, and the latest recruit of the Ouendan hung his head in defeat, quietly complying with Ryuta's demand.

The Agents weren't quite sure of what had just happened, but they had an idea once they saw Ryuta's content, even victorious expression.

All in good spirits (save for Hajime), the small group entered Dragon Ramen, more than ready to enjoy a good bowl of noodles.

--

It was fairly quiet in the residence of the Kokou no Ouendan, the only sounds being the creatures of the outdoors and the low murmurs of Doumeki and Chieftain discussing world matters over tea.

"Captaaaaain!" squealed a pink-haired pigtailed girl, wearing a blue American-style cheerleader outfit. This girl, Aoi Kanda, rushed into the room where the two powerful figures sat, stumbling a bit as she stopped abruptly and caught her breath, breathing as if she'd just run a marathon.

"What's the trouble?" Doumeki grumbled, not too happy about having Aoi interrupt him; she usually had something trivial to report such as a deficit of cookies in the dojo for example. However, his face remained emotionless, despite his slight annoyance. Chieftain had a similar expression, though he was more curious at what she had to say, since he never had to deal with Aoi or an issue involving a lack of cookies.

"You'll never guess who's back!" Aoi squeaked, still in a bit of an adrenaline rush. No reply came from either of the men in the room, other than a blink from Chieftain, which was obscured by his sunglasses anyway.

"I'll give you two hints," came a more mature female voice, belonging to a blonde with a voluptuous figure wearing the same uniform as Aoi, though she was clearly an American like the agents. Out of the corner of his eye, Doumeki saw Chieftain react. However, the large agent regained his composure quickly, and Doumeki did not get a chance to see how Chieftain reacted. Still, the Captain sensed that something about her made the agent feel something... displeasure, pleasure, surprise, irritation, he wasn't sure. The woman, named Anna Lindhurst, continued, "They're rich and one of their favorite pasttimes is pissing us off."

Doumeki frowned. He knew exactly who she was talking about, and was less than ecstatic about the news...

--

The agents found themselves quite content with their lunch, and had left in a good mood. Hajime, on the other hand, wasn't too overjoyed, complaining about the lightness of his pockets rather than an unsatisfactory meal. The whining quickly ceased due to a scolding from his squad leader. However, the lighthearted banter was suddenly halted.

"OUENDAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Both Ouendan members' heads immediately snapped in the direction of the call. It was a familiar voice, a voice that both of them recognized almost instantly.

"Tsuyoshi Hanada. He's 24 now, and seems to be in search of a job," Ryuta stated casually, as if he hadn't seemingly pulled the information out of thin air. J and Morris stared incredulously while Derek had a more subdued, but similar expression. Spin seemed to be humored by his comrades' expressions instead, perhaps missing exactly why they were making such funny faces in the first place.

"I remember him. He's the same age as I am, and he got into a good college through us," Hajime added.

"Apparently, out of ninety-nine job interviews, he hasn't been accepted by a single one..." Ryuta sighed.

"Hey, didn't he fail the college entrance exam ninety-nine times?"

"Er... yeah..."

Neither of them noticed the three older agents staring at the squad leader's ears, investigating to find earpieces of any sort. Spin, on the other hand, was in awe of how long this Hanada guy could take rejection before resorting to desperate measures.

"Since you were so kind as to pay for lunch today, Tanaka, I'll give you a break and take this one," Ryuta nodded and flashed a thumbs up. Hajime only sighed and rolled his eyes in response, guessing that his leader just wanted to show off.

"Well, then, Leader, show these guys what we're all about!" said Hajime, making a sweeping gesture to the agents, who looked on with curiosity.

"Oh, I will," was the confident reply as Ryuta ran towards the Hanada residence. The sideline cheerers, the mohawk-bearing Ittetsu Suzuki and the eyepatch-wearing Atsushi Saitou appeared from opposite ends of the street at a junction as Ryuta ran past it, the two joining him on the way to the site. Hajime looked toward his American companions and nodded to them, gesturing to follow to the Hanada house.

When the agents and the Ouendan rookie arrived outside the house, they could already sense Sukima Switch's "Zenryoku Shounen" playing. Of course, no one other than the agents, the Ouendan, and Tsuyoshi could hear it; they were the only ones who were musically connected to the cheer at the time. Shortly through the piano intro, through the doors burst the Ouendan--Ryuta, Suzuki, and Saitou--who opened with their signature "Osu!"

The agents watched with interest as Tsuyoshi started to burn with ambition and determination, a big difference from how the agents' targets would radiate enthusiasm as they waved their arms in the air.

"Ikuze! San, ni, ichi, sure!!"

The observations continued as Tsuyoshi started rewriting the resume that was ruined by his family. In the background, the squad was throwing out punches, yells, and other powerful martial art-like movements--the usual for a Japanese cheer squad.

"Quite different..." Morris idly commented.

"Kinda reminds me of Without a Fight," J added, "But the movements seem to be much sharper."

"It's nothing like how we go about cheering," Spin sighed, feeling a bit intimidated by the idea of practicing Ouen.

"Don't worry about it too much," Hajime said, placing a gloved hand on Spin's shoulder. "If you have the ability to cheer, then all that's left is getting into the mindset and learning the moves. I think there's a Latin ballroom dance that has a similar concept to cheering like this, if that helps any."

"I guess..." Spin shrugged, still feeling uncomfortable with the task of cheering like an Ouendan member looming ahead. Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi was about ready to zoom off to the job interview. Unfortunately, he'd left his wallet in the house. Thankfully, through the Ouendan's cheering, Tsuyoshi's mother had provided him with emergency money. Tsuyoshi thanked her, and went on his way to the interview. Another "Osu!" rang out and the Ouendan continued to cheer.

"...Hm. I saw a more complicated routine at practice earlier this morning," Derek muttered a bit after the Ouendan started the third segment of the cheer.

"Well, Hanada-san only ever really needed a little push in the right direction and for things to fall in his favor. Why expend all our energy on a tough cheer when the target in question doesn't need that much motivation?" Hajime explained.

"...I see," Derek nodded. "So you're not using one-hundred percent of your energy?"

"Well, we're always completely focused, if that's what you mean. Your agency has plenty of fill-ins, so if one squad gets tired, another can easily take the next mission. There's only eight of us total, so it's hard when there's a flood of calls. Sometimes Ippongi-san or I have to fill in for Saitou or Suzuki when they're sick or something like that... so while we motivate all the way, we try to use a minimal amount of energy to cheer. We can't help it if the job is something really big like helping someone defeat a giant rat, though."

The agents nodded in understanding, remembering how tiring Good Charlotte's "The Anthem" was and how star baseball player Hulk Bryman took down a fire-breathing golem with that song.

Tsuyoshi, with the Ouendan's help, did an excellent job, impressing the interviewers, especially with the answer about how family was a treasure that could not be bought. Even though the results wouldn't come in until later, the Ouendan knew that all would be excellent for Tsuyoshi in the future. And so, their cheer was concluded with the following phrase:

"Ouen! Dai-sei-kou!"

--

The trio that had been cheering just moments before gathered back with the spectating group, and they had decided to relax for a bit by the river.

"Wicked cheerin' job, guys," J grinned, giving Ryuta, Suzuki, and Saitou a thumbs up. The leader breathed out a "thanks" while the two others nodded in gratitude.

"Well, you lot shouldn't worry," Ryuta smirked, "It gets better than that."

Hajime nodded in agreement. Not a few moments later, the ground started to rumble. The Ouendan got to their feet and looked around, puzzled. The agents, on the other hand, thought it was probably wiser to stay closer to the ground. They were sitting upright on the ground, looking just as confused as their Japanese companions. A sudden "Iya..." came from Hajime as he finally set his gaze in one direction. Spin's stare matched Hajime's, and he gasped slightly, slowly lifting a finger to point towards the cause of the ruckus.

It was a yacht. Well, it probably couldn't even be called a yacht--more like a small cruise ship. It was a brilliant white and blue, sailing across the Yuuhi River, water splashing up against the hull. Along the left of its bow, near the rail, were the following words emblazoned in gold: "THE ASAHI SUNRISE III".

Spin glanced back at the Ouendan. Judging by their expressions, this probably wasn't a good thing.

"Ippongi Ryuta!"

Ryuta's brow furrowed, and he looked in the direction of the call. Atop the boat stood three people, all wearing the same blue uniform.. The guy on the left was bald, and the one on the right had a long orange braid. However, Ryuta was currently only concerned with the man in the center; a long-haired blonde who, by appearance and posture, seemed to embody the word "noble". Unlike the two at his sides, he had a white headband, armband, and shoulder bands. Before anyone else could make a comment or ask questions, Ryuta spoke irritably and quietly, knowing fully that the trio up there wouldn't be able to hear.

"Gentlemen, the great dumbass Hayato Saionji has arrived."

The agents grimaced at the tension. Spin got the feeling that whatever would happen with these two, things would just not end well... Things would not end well indeed.

* * *

AN: Some notes which aren't really necessary unless I lost you somewhere in some cases (WARNING: it'll probably be really ranty and long, so you can skip this stuff if you want): 

-The single verse near the beginning of the chapter is the first line in the chorus of READY STEADY GO.

-"Yare yare" means something along the lines of "Oh boy".

-I honestly couldn't think of anything other than "Bailadores" ... sorry, heheh. I didn't wanna be unoriginal and be like, "Mariachis!"

-I actually debated on naming the random agent Spin mentions Bass, Forte, Serenade, or Blues...

-Yasushi is the protagonist of Linda Linda from OTO1. (not sure if she made that obvious)

-From various translations I've read, "Kokou" means "Aloof", making the name of the Yuuhi Ouendan the "Aloof Ouendan" ...

-"Ikuze! San, ni, ichi, sure!" means "Let's go! Three, two, one, go!" and "Ouen! Dai-sei-kou!" means "Cheer! Big-Suc-cess!"

-Excuse my SYTYCD/DwtS dorkiness... the dance Hajime refers to in the middle of the Zenryoku Shounen sequence is the Paso Doble, the dance of the matador. The man is expected to be very masculine in his dancing.

-"Iya", as far as I know, is another sound of exasperation. Or amazement, maybe. (should go look at Japanese Ouendan fanart again and check some manga pages)

-I usually just call ALL of the Ouendan members by family names other than the Cheer Girls, but I decided to write the rookies and the leaders with their given names (along with the Cheer Girls). I'll generally write the younger characters by given name, and the older characters by family name. I guess it helps to put some of the characters on a more personal level... maybe. Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about XD. Though, Tsuyoshi Hanada, Tsuyoshi Moriyama (baldy on Noble squad), and Karizou Moriyama (barber in Julia ni Shoushin) make things a mess anyway.

-Some of the characters WILL be speaking in Japanese, but seeing as I don't speak fluent Japanese, and I doubt many readers really understand Japanese fluently, the dialogue will still be written in English. A Japanese exchange will almost always be labeled as such, and names under those will be in Japanese name order. For example, in an English exchange it would be "Hajime Tanaka", and in a Japanese exchange it would be "Tanaka Hajime". Makes sense, I hope.

--

Bah, I rambled again, didn't I?

Anyway, in regards to the story, how was it? Please review, compliments and criticisms are really appreciated and encouraging. Flames are... helpful to the Ouendan... yeah.

-'Taru


	2. Divas, Welcome to Yuuhi?

AN: Okay... yes, I did change the title. This one's more appropriate... and feels less generic to me. Well, it doesn't seem right now, but you'll probably see later. Though it could also be like a metaphor of sorts... but anyway. This chapter went on a lot longer than I expected and I ended it earlier than I planned...

* * *

The glarefest between the blonde and the red-head continued, even as the boat started to pass the Yuuhi Ouendan and the present agents. Hayato shot a smirk at the group as the boat started to depart the area of tension. The departure wasn't going to happen immediately, however. A clankety noise and a splash later, the trio at the bow found themselves being jerked forward unexpectedly. In fact, Hayato may have almost gotten a good taste of railing. The duo at his sides, Tsuyoshi Moriyama and Kenshin Sugita, caught their leader before he toppled towards the edge, but they all fell down anyway. 

Spin got the feeling that this event would classify as a tension-breaker. His prediction was made true when he heard sniggers nearby, mostly coming from Ryuta's direction. Before he knew it, the whole group was overcome with some form of quiet laughter, each of them trying hard to resist it.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" could be heard from the deck of the ship in plain English. With the ship halted, the three got up, annoyed and confused. What looked like a much younger squad member rushed out, his chin-length brunette locks bouncing with every step. He bowed apologetically, telling Hayato something along the lines of "I'm so sorry, Saionji-san, I hit the anchor button and..."

Spin could definitely tell that he was a rookie. Many new recruits in the Agency acted similarly--nervous, seeming intimidated, and often very hard on themselves if they make the slightest mistake. Of course, though Spin wasn't like that at all when he first joined (or at least, that's what he thought; J would say otherwise), he would drop a hint of advice on the rookies on occasion, usually during practice.

Back up on the deck, Hayato raised a hand, letting the his squad's rookie know that he should probably stop apologizing. Said rookie blinked at the hand, pausing for a moment before giving one last bow accompanied with another formal apology and returning to the wheel.

"...Kikuchi's got a long way to go before he'll be like you, Saionji-san," commented the bald one, Tsuyoshi Moriyama, staring at the door the young rookie entered.

"Yeah, well... he'll definitely improve. I'm sure of it... he's got the determination," Hayato sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Besides, if he says he wants to be like me, he's already got at least one thing in common with me."

Both of Hayato's subordinates looked at the blonde in curiosity, wondering how in the world Shinta Kikuchi could have anything in common with Hayato Saionji.

"He's attractive!" Hayato finished, making the other two roll their eyes in annoyance. Well, Moriyama did; no one could really tell with the other, Kenshin Sugita, as his eyes always seemed closed or at least very close to that. Hayato ignored the displeased reaction and continued on, "Granted, he's got more of the cute factor than the sexy factor, but still, you saw the girls' reactions when they first saw him... it reminds me of myself!"

The other two clearly did not want to listen to their squad leader rant about Shinta's or his own 'ladykiller' qualities, so Sugita cut in, quickly saying, "That's all fine and dandy, Saionji, but I think we should find out where in the world the Captain is and why he's not doing anything about all this... Hey, you know what, I think I'll go check it out!"

Sugita hastily made his exit, leaving his partner Moriyama alone with their egotistical leader and ignoring the bald man's glare drilling into his back. Fortunately for Moriyama, however, the sound of a chain moving through a pulley signified that the anchor was being lifted and the boat was going to continue up the river. Remembering the nearby spectators, Hayato glanced towards the Yuuhi riverbanks to give Ryuta one last glare (especially since the latter showed a humored expression) before looking forward towards the hill to the north.

"They were always a strange bunch," Ryuta shrugged as the boat moved farther away from the Yuuhi group.

"You think? Look at their hair! Or lack of hair... and their boat is like a miniature cruiser!" Morris exclaimed.

"D'ya mind explaining who they are?" J asked, just as puzzled as his comrades.

"Actually, Ippongi-san, I'd appreciate an explanation as well... I've never heard of a squad in Asahi Town," Hajime commented.

"That's because they disappeared about eight years ago and decided to come back now," the squad's leader started to explain, "They call themselves the Kouketsu no Ouendan. In other words, the Noble Squad."

"So there's more than one Ouendan," Derek concluded.

"What, did you think we covered all of Japan?" Ryuta grinned. "There's a squad in Mangetsu Town to the north, one in Shingetsu to the south, and Tokyo has a bunch of 'em. There's Ouendan all throughout Japan. Our Kokou no Ouendan is just the most famous because of the meteor incident. Plus, we kick ass."

"So... you guys _do_have the numbers to take care of Japan," J stated, looking at the Ouendan leader for confirmation.

"You could say that. Same goals and such... we just function separately."

"Do you know why Asahi's squad disappeared?" Hajime asked, curious.

"Do _I_know? No. There were different rumors about the disappearance of the Asahi Ouendan. Some are relatively boring, like membership being too low... Others are absolutely bizarre, such as going undercover and collecting rare and sought-after tea sets... the only ones with the definitive answer are the members of that squad, and they haven't given any explanation yet. Nonetheless, they left their territory uncovered and we had to look after part of Asahi with the north and south squads," Ryuta explained, grumbling towards the end. "Those stuck up Asahi jerks aren't even grateful that three other Ouendan jumped in to cover the departure of their blue losers! They just called all of us 'Asahi's temporary platoon' and 'dirty street cheerleaders' and other crap like that..."

As Ryuta continued to rant about how Mangetsu's squad doesn't even deserve that kind of title, Hajime took note his leader's irritation and threw out the suggestion of returning to the dojo. This wouldn't only take Ryuta's mind away from the less-than-pleasant behavior of Asahi citizens, but also the group could rest for the next day. Evening was approaching, and though Yuuhi Town was a sight to behold in the setting sun, the events of the day probably had everyone worn out. The agents wouldn't mind, he hoped. It'd be one of their last days of leisure, anyway. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to gaze at the evening sky in Yuuhi, and Ryuta was certainly not a fun person when he was pissed off. To Hajime's convenience, everyone complied, and they returned to the dojo. where they were promptly greeted by Aoi's homebaked (and charred) cookies. They would be in for a long night...

--

"I knew we should've let you drive without a GPS."

"Foxx, we don't HAVE a GPS in this craft!"

"I told you we should've taken one of the newer ATCs!"

"All the new ones were out!"

"Well, why didn't you let me at least install one on this one?"

"We don't have time to waste! Do you want the guys to have all the fun?"

"We're wasting time right now, Starr, by flying aimlessly over some rural area."

"Can you two cut it out so we can find that... Yuuhi place that the Commander mentioned?" Missy pleaded.

Much like the agents, the Elite Beat Divas were off to Japan to study the Ouendan style from the Kokou no Ouendan. Starr, Missy, and Foxx were the agency's top divas, and they had to finish their mission quota for the month before heading across the ocean. They didn't exactly mind arriving fashionably late, but there's a point where 'fashionably late' ends and 'too late' begins. The girls would have some catching up to do if they didn't catch the first few training sessions, and with the infamous Kai Doumeki as Captain of the squad... that would be a lot of catching up.

"Well, it's right next to a river, right?" Starr questioned, looking around for a river.

"Yes. We can dock there," Foxx replied.

"Is that it?" Missy pointed out a body of water.

"Looks like it. I can see a town. Yuuhi and Asahi must be the two towns to the north of it."

"Finally! Prepare for landing, ladies!" Starr announced as she began the descent into the river.

--

After docking their All-Terrain Craft, the Divas found their way to a nearby fast food restaurant, where they enjoyed a quick dinner.

"This is kinda awkward... we're being stared at," Missy said quietly to her table.

"Yeah... even with ordinary clothes," Starr sighed, having received most of the stares, winks, and even comments from bypassers. Granted, tight jeans and a shirt with a low neckline didn't help much...

"I guess we Americans just stand out," Foxx noted. There was a brief pause at the table. The girls wondered how well they could adapt to the Japanese life and if cultural differences would get in the way. Not wanting to dwell on negative, doubtful thoughts for long, Starr spoke up.

"If we're gonna go search for the Ouendan, we should go look tomorrow morning. It's getting late."

"Are you sure we shouldn't just look for them tonight?" asked the silver-haired techie.

"Can _you_understand fluent Japanese? I can't. It's too dark to go look around ourselves... we'll get lost."

Foxx merely rolled her eyes in response and gave in.

"Fine, fine... get your beauty rest."

"Oh, come on, Foxx. We'll be more efficient tomorrow when we're rested," Starr glared at Foxx, annoyed. Foxx gave a 'hmph' in reply, also annoyed. Missy merely sighed, tired of playing peacemaker and hoping they would just calm down themselves.

--

The next morning, the ladies finished their breakfast and were ready to begin their search, until a melodic yell caught their ears...

"OOOOUENDAAAAAN!"

The sound was more of a wake-up call than their coffee, and immediately the three divas were alert.

"I told you it would be better to look in the morning, Foxx! We'll definitely find the Ouendan now!" Starr chirped in an "I-told-you-so" tone of voice.

"This _isn't_the time, Starr! Where'd that call come from?" Foxx responded, irritated.

"I think it's from that way!" Missy pointed in the direction she heard the call from.

"Well, hurry!" Foxx growled as she took off in that very direction.

"Oh, don't be so pushy," Starr grumbled, following her.

Missy only groaned in exasperation as she brought up the rear.

The divas eventually arrived at what looked like a boarding school. The name "Versailles" was engraved above the main doorway. None of the girls knew the song that was starting to play, but it was a clear indicator that a cheering job was in session. They weren't allowed to enter, but they could still see into one of the windows on the lower level. Inside they spotted three men clad in blue, one of them playing the piano. Though the sound was faint, the divas could tell he was playing along with the electric guitar in the song. A shout of "Osu!" from the inside proceeded to confuse the three watching from outside.

"They don't look like the Ouendan... at least, they don't look like the same guys the Commander told us about," Missy voiced her thoughts first.

"They're not the Ouendan," Foxx stated, her tone carrying a hint of finality.

"But how aren't they the Ouendan? We can hear that song so obviously it's not a school squad or anything... and whoever is on the piano is playing the same song," Starr argued.

"Why don't we just wait and see what's going on?" Missy hissed, fed up. Argument may be the usual for the two top divas, but Missy certainly didn't want to put up with it all the time.

The girls were interrupted by a shout of "SAN! NI! ICHI! SURE!" to their right. They looked over and saw the squad-in-blue beginning to cheer. A brunette with pigtail braids similar to Missy's was standing in front of the school, passing out fliers for the school's choir. She was presumably the client, since her energy for advertising and recruiting clearly matched the energy of the cheer squad's. Halfway into the first verse was the end of the first segment of cheering, and the target, whose name was Yuria, finally gathered enough members for the choir. As the choir club's president, Kaoruko, quickly found that she'd been blessed with a group of angelic voices, the trio of divas still weren't sure if they had been blessed with a quick find.

"Something's fishy..." Foxx had her hand on her chin in thought as they watched the group.

"What?" Missy pressed for Foxx to continue.

"Do you think they're planning something by imitating the Ouendan?"

"I-imitating? What if they _are_ the Ouendan? Or at least, part of them?"

"They look absolutely nothing like them."

"But... but..."

"There could be something wrong here."

"But... oh, Starr, what do you think?"

"I think their middle man is _gorgeous_," Starr sighed, her last word spoken in a drawl.

The two other divas blinked and stared at the aforementioned. Indeed, he was quite pretty. He had long, thick, soft-looking blonde hair and a strong build. There was no doubt that he could be classified as attractive. However, Foxx stopped herself before she became entranced by the sight.

"It wouldn't be wise to get too attached to these people," she advised, "If they're up to no good, things might be more difficult for us."

"Oh, come on! If they were up to no good, they probably wouldn't be cheering for anyone!" Starr said defensively.

"Just because someone does good things doesn't mean they're trustworthy," Foxx objected.

"Argh! Why are you always so skeptical of everything!"

"You'll only get hurt if you trust everything that comes your way!"

"Will you two _shut up?!_ Now they're staring at us!" Missy cut in angrily, gesturing to the blue cheer squad, whose eyes were on the divas. The blonde even had an eyebrow raised. Starr and Foxx both shirked back a little, with Starr looking like a deer in headlights and Foxx giving a cold glare to the men.

This tense moment ended when Kaoruko and Yuria passed by, heading towards the grassy field behind the school. The choir club had earned the money to support itself through babysitting during the divas' argument, and now they were off to practice in the field. The guys in blue ran off, following their target. The divas looked at each other for a few moments before following them. It wasn't long until the girls arrived, and the choir club continued to practice their harmony and volume in the field, inspired by the encouraging cheers of the blue squad.

Kaoruko was giving commands, adjusting the girls' voices to blend well together. All was well until Yuria suddenly pointed in one direction and exclaimed. What seemed like an angry boar was charging across the field... straight towards the principal of Versailles, who seemed to be unaware of the incoming danger. Kaoruko raised her conductor's baton with a heavily-accented shout of "Fortessimo!" The choir's musical warning was so loud, one could say that they were the roars of the earth. The principal nimbly dodged the raging boar, and he agreed to support the choir club out of gratitude. Kaoruko expressed her happiness by bringing a startled Yuria into her embrace, and the choir club headed inside.

"Wow! Things are really looking up for them!" Missy commented, watching the girls and the principal disappear into the school.

"Wait. Where are those guys?" Foxx asked, her voice carrying urgency as it usually did.

"...Yeah, where are they?" Starr looked around. There wasn't a blue uniform in sight. In fact, there wasn't a soul out in the fields other than the divas.

"Speaking of where those Ouendan guys went, what happened to the music?" Missy questioned, looking confused. Starr and Foxx looked at Missy before listening for themselves. They heard not music but merely the sound of the river flowing and birds chirping.

"Maybe they went back up front..." Starr suggested, heading back to the front of Versailles. Not having many other choices, Missy and Foxx followed the lead diva.

"Who knows where they went," Foxx said as they walked, "Agents pull something like this too when a mission takes place over an extended period of time."

"Well... we should still catch up with them. Whether or not they're the ouendan we're looking for, they might be able to point us in the right direction," Starr said.

There was still no sight of the mysterious blue Ouendan in front of the school. Starr seemed frustrated by this, while Missy wore a wondering expression. Foxx's expression was serious, as usual.

"Where in the world could they have gone?!" Starr grumbled, looking around at a quicker pace, though she wasn't exactly frantic.

"Just give it a rest, Starr. Like I said, they might not even be the people we're looking for," Foxx told the blonde diva, a bit irritated over the events of the morning.

"And what if we're the ones you want?"

The divas flinched, whipping around to find the blue Ouendan. The men stood there calmly, the bald man and the red-head at the sides with their hands behind their backs, and the blonde in the middle with his arms crossed, presumably the leader.

"May we help you?" the leader asked, raising an eyebrow. His voice was smooth and his tone cool, and he spoke fluently. In fact, he seemed to have a bit of an English accent, though he didn't look like a full-blooded Japanese anyway.

The girls looked at each other, trying to get someone to speak up. Each of them were at a loss for words. Finally, Starr composed herself, speaking up for the team of divas.

"We're looking for the Ouendan," she replied.

"Do you need help with something? Normally, you should just call for us. You're from America, right? You can call us like you would for the Elite Beat Agents."

"I don't think we need help anymore..." Starr responded, a grin on her face.

At this, the leader's brow furrowed and Foxx grimaced, worrying that they were getting into a situation they shouldn't be.

"You see, we're the Elite Beat Divas..." Starr began to explain, with Foxx becoming more and more irritated. "...And we've come to Japan to study the style of the Ouendan!"

Foxx smacked a hand on her forehead, since she was adamant about keeping their guard up and Starr had just done the opposite.

"I see..." the other blonde replied, appearing to be in thought for a few moments. Then, he spoke up again, saying, "Well, I'll have to talk to the Captain about the situation... but you may come with us to wait for an answer."

"That'd be great!" the diva replied, bringing her hands together in delight. The man smiled warmly at her, but the other four people didn't seem quite as warm and inviting to each other. Foxx, as usual, was giving off a glare, and the bald man glared back, definitely upset with this woman's hostility. The man with the braid remained expressionless (in fact, he seemed expressionless most of the time), and Missy appeared a little apprehensive. However, the none of their opinions were taken into account as the two blondes beckoned to their groups to follow them to the Ouendan's ship.

Despite the tension between the two groups, the blue cheer squad and the Elite Beat Divas did not travel in complete silence...

"If you don't mind, may I ask you your name?"

"Oh... just call me Starr. And yours?"

"Hayato Saionji... but please, feel free to simply call me Hayato."

"Hayato... it sounds nice."

"Thank you..."

* * *

AN: Okay... well, this isn't as great as I'd like it... but, anyway. Some random notes: 

-Mangetsu means "full moon". Shingetsu means "new moon". See where I'm coming from? However, I'm not QUITE sure if Shingetsu is the proper word to parallel Mangetsu. I'd like to keep them that way because of the usage of "getsu"... but a friend (who's far more versed in Japanese than I am) gave me "Mikazuki"... which also looks a bit much like Reika's name "Minazuki" in romanji (as you can see), so...

-P-pairing? What pairing? ...Anyway, I'm not sure if the implied pairing here is gonna turn into a full-blown pairing. So, if you don't like this idea, you might feel a bit better reading that. But if you're still against the idea... please don't hurt me cuz of that! I enjoy experimenting with pairings... D: So I request that you anti-StarrXHayato people can drop your axes and torches...

-This is somewhat a response to one of my reviews: On the case of the elongator U in romanji... I have no set system, really. It depends on the name/word. Kiryuin and Ryuta, I'll pretty much never put the elongator U in. For Saitou, Doumeki, Yuuhi... as you can see, I use the elongator U. I'm not sure why, either. It's just... kinda how I write it. For some odd reason, I feel more comfortable writing Ryuta over Ryuuta and Yuuhi over Yuhi... it's a strange habit... I would say pet peeve, but I don't get all annoyed when other people write with or without that U.

Anyway, it was actually kinda hard to write this chapter because of all the plot-related stuff going on here. I didn't really wanna leave any plotholes open, heh. But... you know, I probably did somewhere. So, if I missed any Japanese that I forgot to translate, please let me know. Also... excuse the strange introduction of the Kouketsu no Ouendan... I'm not quite sure what caused all that, hahah.


End file.
